Just Another Pawn
by JKrlin
Summary: The adventures of Pawn, a clone trooper of the 501st Legion who has no idea what to do with life. However, he is fortunate enough to meet a variety of different, interesting people. Follow him as he serves directly under Captain Rex and Ahsoka Tano with the occasional meeting with Boba Fett and Clan Skirata. Potentially AU and OOCness
1. Chapter 1

_**Kamino**_

"Um, are you alright, sir?"

Unintelligible muttering was the reply.

CT-4214 sighed as he tried to pull Boba Fett out of the toilet. _Why am I always the one getting myself into these situations?_ Once the boy's head was freed, he made his way to the sink to wash his face. The elder clone stood idly by.

"Are you okay, sir? What happened?" He handed him some paper towels.

"It was nothing, Pawn. Just Ordo being a –" He paused as he was drying himself.

"Taun We trying to get you to tone down the language?"

"Yeah… thanks for the help."

Pawn nodded and saluted. "Sir." With that, he left the refresher. It was time to go to bed.

As Pawn walked across the white, bland hallways, he sang Vode An in his head. He liked the dramatic touch to it, but he had mixed feelings about being the "wrath of Coruscant." Sure, he's read about it and has seen pictures, but he'd like to see the glorious capital for himself to see what exactly he is fighting for.

_We're supposed to be proud, strong, and for what? I'll protect a clone any day, but we'll be fighting for a government that's willing to use a slave army for its own safety. Where's the honor in that?_

When the pondering soldier entered the barracks, he ran into a malformed brother, the resident janitor. "99," Pawn greeted with a nod. "Why are you still up?"

He smiled goodheartedly back. "Hey, Pawn. Just finishing up some chores."

"Need any help?"

"Nah, it's fine. Just get some rest. Squad's moving out of Tipoca City tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, sir." Pawn began climbing up a ladder to his sleeping cot.

"No need to be so formal, Pawn."

"You know me, 99. Always the polite one." As he lay on his cot, he gave one last look at his old friend. "Keep trekking on, soldier."

99 laughed. It'd be the last time Pawn got to hear that raspy but powerful laugh in the foreseeable future. "You too, Pawn, you too."

X

_**Christophsis**_

A shove to the shoulder brought him back to reality. "Pawn, you ready?"

He turned to answer the inquiring clone. "Yeah, Jester, just reminiscing about Kamino."

Jester chuckled. "Now why are you dreaming about that shab of a place? Gotta stay focused on, vode, or Rex will have your hide."

Pawn sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You just focus on keeping your gun clean."

"Hey," Jester said defensively, "I thought you'd stop teasing me about that."

"I've already asked Slick about again."

"Just shut up."

"Stow the chatter, gentlemen," Captain Rex spoke up. Immediately, all side conversations ceased. "Get ready, men. Clankers are almost here." Pawn straightened his back and tightened his grip on his DC-15A rifle. He and Jester stood behind Rex and General Skywalker.

Rex looked directly at Pawn. "Ready, trooper? You've been distracted these last few days."

Internally, he sighed. _Is _everyone_ catching on already?_ "It's nothing, sir." Rex held his gaze for a few more moments before looking away. However, the message was clear. _We'll be talking later._

Pawn looked at the neighboring tower, observing Cody's team setting up the machine guns. All of a sudden, there was blaster fire in there. "Sir, look, the droids are attacking Kenobi's group!"

Skywalker looked to his right and quickly went to his communicator. "Obi-Wan, what's going on?"

"We're cut off," was the reply. "The droids are on to us."

The General cursed. "Gunship, come in. Hawk, I need an evac on the south tower."

"South tower?" Rex said slowly in confusion. "We're in the north."

Skywalker smirked as he activated his lightsaber. "Not for long."

_Oh shab,_ thought Pawn. _Whenever he smiles like that, he's going to do something very reckless._ Pawn thought correctly when the Jedi cut the window open and ordered the clones to fire their cables on to the other. _It's just my luck that Torrent Company is with Skywalker. I'm starting to see why Admiral Yularen is so cranky whenever he's around now._

As they slid across the cables, the droids on the ground started firing. Pawn was hit in the hip, but a pair of binoculars took the blast. Unfortunately, Livewire wasn't so lucky. In the corner of his eye, he saw him lose his grip and fall down. _Ignore the scream, ignore the scream, mourn later._

The General destroyed another glass wall, and the clones got to do what they were best at; blasting tinnies into a scrap pile.

"How did you get here?"

"I improvised!"

_And we lost a man in the process._

Soon, everyone started falling back into the elevators. It was a tight squeeze, but it was a short trip to the roof. After a quick breather, more battle droids arrived. Pawn crouched and started picking his targets closer to the lifts. The Generals could keep their twelve-o-clock covered. Once the gunship came around, the surviving clones began to slowly move back.

"Ugh!" Cypher was just shot in the elbow. He dropped his rifle as he clutched his arm. Acting on instinct, Pawn grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, ducking under a blaster bolt shot from a tactical droid. As Cypher jumped into the larty, Pawn nudged Chopper and directed his gaze to the unique specimen. Pawn knew of Chopper's _hobby_, and he knew he probably wouldn't want to miss the chance to dismember a droid that you don't see often in a firefight.

In the gunship, Rex asked Chopper to hand him the droid's head. For a split second, he hesitated. The Captain would have usually noticed, but he was too focused on the machine. The transaction went on without any trouble. Meanwhile, Kix was tending to Cypher's wound.

Nine clones today. It was time to add more names to the list.

X

"You sure he's okay?"

"For the last time, yes Pawn. He will make a full recovery once his visit with the med-droid is over."

Pawn sighed as he took another bite from his meal. The two were sitting at the Command Center's mess hall. "Livewire died today."

Kix grew quieter. "Yeah… yeah, I saw the KIA list."

Pawn stopped looked away. "Cypher doesn't know yet."

"What? But –"

"I want to be the one to tell him, once he's out of the medbay."

Kix looked surprised, but he slowly nodded. "Alright, then." He glanced at the clock overhead on the wall. "He should have been released by now. He might be back in his barracks."

Pawn stood up. "Thanks, Kix." He picked up his plate and made his way out. He found Cypher lying in bed. Slick was in the corner on his terminal. The injured soldier was watching reading something, his right arms wrapped in bandages. "Hey, vod."

He looked up and smiled. "Hey Pawn! Thanks for the help back there. I didn't expect a tactical droid coming out to fight us."

"Yeah, you sure showed them."

"_We_ sure showed them. Speaking of which, where's Livewire? Someone told me he was on patrol duty, but the guy in charge said that he wasn't."

Pawn didn't answer. Instead, he went to his locker. Sorting through his stuff, he brought out a datapad. When he turned around, Cypher had turned pale. "Cyph'ika… he didn't make it."

For a long time, he didn't say anything. Slick left the room, not wanting to intrude in this private moment. Pawn looked on with emotionless eyes, watching his brother slowly curl up. He started crying, but it didn't last long. For a while, all you could hear was soft whimpering.

Pawn wanted to scream, to burn the whole planet to the ground. He wanted to join Cypher in his mourning, to cry his heart out. Everyone else in their squad from Kamino, the brothers they grew up with, was dead. Their bodies were never found. All they ever got was a number on a list. A digital list that gave their number, not their name. In an army of clones, of a single face copied a million times, they were all just numbers, just like droids. No one really cared about them.

No one except each other.

He knows he was cheated, that he was given dreams of greatness when it was all a façade to inspire loyalty. He was born to die for people he had no true attachment, no true reason to die for. The bottom line was that he was a slave, and he wanted to make the galaxy pay for putting him and his brothers through this war.

But if he tried to make everything burn, that would make one less clone looking out for his vode.

So Pawn taught himself how to be apathetic, how to hide and suppress his emotions so that he can focus on the task at hand.

Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

It dulled the pain, even if it was just by a fraction.

Cypher seemed to have cried himself to sleep. Pawn sat back in his bed and went through his list, adding the names of the recently deceased. He sat there and read each name aloud but not loud enough to wake his brother. He made himself say each name, imagined each face, and remembered the last time he saw each person.

The pain was still there, but it wasn't as bad as last time.

X

Pawn slowly awoke to the sound Slick's voice. "No way they are capable of something like this." As the volume of more voices began to spread in the room, Pawn sat up. The rest of the platoon had entered, and Captain Rex and Commander Cody were present. Cypher was also awake, looking around, confused. He was still distraught over the loss of another brother, but he had to recompose himself for whatever their commanding officers gathered them for.

Cody began with, "There is a turncoat in our midst. We think it's one of you."

The idea of smashing his hand into the wall suddenly appeared very appealing to Pawn, but he thought better of it. _A clone? Betraying his brothers? _The word "rage" is sufficient enough to illustrate what he felt.

The commanders walked up to Jester first. _No, he wouldn't go rogue. He doesn't have the confidence to pull of what the Captain just described._

Next were Sketch and Punch. _They're always together, watching each other's backs. It'd be hard to believe if they went against their brothers. Then again, it's hard to think of _any_ clone betraying their brothers. _

Then came Gus. _He and Cypher were in the infirmary. They have a proper alibi, nothing to worry about them._

They approached Pawn. "So where were you, 4214?" Rex only ever used Pawn's number when the Captain was very serious and didn't want _any _funny business.

"I was in the mess, eating with Kix. Later, I came here to talk with Cypher. Afterwards, I fell asleep."

Slick nodded. "I can vouch for him, sir. I was here when they talked."

While Cody moved on to Chopper, Rex still held his suspicious stare. Understandably so. Pawn had a reputation for being unpredictable, and that was a trait Rex both admired and loathed. It wasn't long till he joined the Commander, however.

_Chopper isn't a spy. He'd never hurt his brothers. All of his hate is for the Seppies, he would never help them. _Unfortunately, the situation quickly escalated when he revealed his little pet project. Everyone soon surrounded him, but Cypher and Pawn stayed back. The pair already knew about the fingers, but anything they say wouldn't do much to prove his loyalty.

"Sergeant, what did you mean 'till the Jedi come back'? How did you know that the Jedi were gone?"

"… I really wish you hadn't noticed that, sir." A haymaker, a flurry of pucnches, and Slick was out of the door. The commanders ran after him while the rest of the squad stood there, mesmerized. Quickly, Pawn grabbed his helmet and DC-17 sidearm. "We need to spread the word: Slick's the turncoat." He gave one last look at his squad mates before exiting. "Get moving!"

_Why would Slick betray us? Sure, he can be a piece of osik every now and then, but he never leaves a man behind. What reason would he have to start killing his brothers?_

_ Why the hell did he have to get Livewire killed?_

_Think Pawn. Think like Slick. You're out numbered, you're outgunned, the only chance you have of getting out alive is stealing a gunship. _

_ The commanders would expect that. You'll set a trap for them. Your next best bet is contacting your Seppie friends for transport. If you're out to sabotage the mission, you'll probably destroy the weapons depot, the heavy weapons. We'll be in disarray, and you can discreetly make your way out._

_ To get a call out, you'll need a terminal. _

_ No one should be in the Command Center at this hour aside from the commanding officers, and they're out looking for you._

Slick was opening an air vent when Pawn trained his pistol at him. "Don't you move." Slick climbed down and raised his hands in surrender. "Turn around, hands on your head." He turned his back to him and complied. "Why'd you do it, Slick?"

He laughed. He laughed a cold-hearted, humorless laugh. "We're all just blindly following orders, and for what? I know you know, yet you're still here."

"This isn't about me. It's about –"

"– clones, Pawn. It's about clones. We're treated like cannon fodder - no we _are _cannon fodder. At least if I do this, I'll get something out of all of the suffering I had to go through."

"If you do this, you'll be killing clones."

Before he could respond, an explosion shook the building. Slick took the chance to tackle Pawn. They fought for control over the weapon, firing off stray shots into the air, but it was ultimately thrown to the side. Slick head butted the downed trooper and ran for the blaster. However, Pawn grabbed his leg and he fell to the ground. Pawn climbed over his fallen form and started punching him. Slick could do nothing more than try to block his attacks.

"I know you, Pawn. You know you would have done the same."

"I'd never betray my brothers, unlike you."

"Really?" He was hit in the jaw but continued his rant. "If Cypher wasn't here, would you really stay and keep on fighting? When he dies, you'll have nothing left." Pawn hit his left eye. "I love my brothers, but the Jedi make us throw our lives away. I'm fighting for something no clones have, freedom!"

By this point, Pawn had stopped listening. Slick killed Livewire. Slick killed Livewire, Tran, Dog, and Cones. He killed them. He killed them so that he could walk away from this whole war.

It wasn't fair.

Someone grabbed his wrist. Pawn looked up and saw that it was Rex. His normally focused, determined eyes were replaced with concern and – _was that fear?_ He was saying something, but Pawn was deaf to any noise except to the sound of his own breathing. Rex tried to pull him up, but Pawn went back to punching Slick. When did his sergeant get so bruised and bloodied? How long had Pawn been at this?

Pawn was slugged across the face. He fell off Slick's body. Pawn started crawling back, but two pairs of hands held him back. Rex was joined by Cody, and the two dragged him away. He tried resisting, but he was hit again. After the fourth hit, Pawn finally calmed down. By calm down, he was actually knocked out.

The nightmares came again, but Pawn would endure, he would survive.

He always did.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Christophsis**_

When Pawn woke up, he found himself in his bunk bed. He must have been dragged and left there because he still had his armor on. Thus, his body ached in _all_ of the places the suit liked to put pressure on. As the clone tried to bring himself to his feet, a hand gently pushed him back down. It was Captain Rex, sitting on a stool.

"Pawn, what happened back in the Command Center?" he said calmly. "You were really going at it with Slick."

The private took a deep breath to recompose himself. Then he looked back at his commander and spoke quietly and bitterly. "He was selfish. He wanted out of this war. He killed Liverwire, and – and I just got so mad." He waved his hands in frustration. "I was mad at him, mad at the Seppies, at the Republic, I – I just snapped, alright?"

Rex put Pawn's arms down. "Kid, he crossed a line that no clone should, I understand. No clone should ever hurt his brothers, but I need you to stay focused. Slick's been taken care of, and we still have a battle to fight. Can I rely on you or do I have to send you back on maintenance duty?"

They stared at each other. Rex, serious and tense, and Pawn, hostile and daring. "You can always count on me, sir."

The stare lasted a moment longer before Rex gave a vigorous nod. "Good. Now, I dissolved your platoon. You, Cypher, Kix, and Jester will work as four man squad. You're in charge. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Go get ready. And meet up with your team outside." Rex stood up. As he was leaving, he turned back. "There's going to be some intense fighting for the next few days. We _will _have our talk afterwards." Then he walked out.

Pawn sighed and lay back down. _Just forget about Slick. Like Rex said, focus. Focus on keeping as many as men as you can alive._ He got out of bed and opened his locker, grabbing his helmet. _Make the Seps pay. Focus your anger on them._

_ Look out for Cypher, no matter what._

X

_**Two days later…**_

_I don't think I'll ever get used to the bodies…_ "Kix, fall back, tend to the wounded while there's a chance to catch your breath." He nodded and did as he was ordered. Pawn turned to his other two subordinates. "You two, on me. Rex wants us to regroup with him."

"Sir yes sir!" As the three troopers ran up the road, red blaster bolts began to barrage them.

_Fierfek_. "Heads down, people! Keep moving!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out in his radio. "Pawn, head to these coordinates. Skywalker's got a plan that requires jetpacks." A yellow dot appeared on the minimap of Pawn's HUD.

"Copy that sir." _This will be fun._ And he was right: jettisoning down in front of a giant tri-droid was a load of excitement. That is, until Pawn was nearly impaled with one of its legs. He rolled out of the way just in time.

"Just keep it distracted boys," Rex hollered out. "The General will take them out."

_Maybe when he's done practicing his acrobatic skills._ "Captain," Pawn said, "we can just aim at the bottom of the head. Blast an opening, the armor's weakest there."

Rex nodded. "You heard him. Keep firing boys." After dodging a few more stomps, their target finally fell over. The 7th Sky Corps and the rest of Torrent Company soon moved closer to their position with Kenobi and Cody in the lead. Pawn's squad took cover behind the smoking tri-droid.

"Sarge, how much longer do you think this battle will last?"

"Just stay down Jester." Pawn peeked put with a new pair of binoculars. "Their tanks are taking a good beating, and – wait, they're retreating!" The sound of blaster fire and droid clanking soon ceased. A ship flew over their heads and landed behind friendly lines. "Looks like we finally got out reinforcements, men."

"Oh thank god," Cypher said, exhausted. He quickly looked over the battlefield. "There have been fewer casualties, but it's been pretty nonstop fighting."

_That's all you've been talking about, the casualty rate._ Pawn spotted the kama-wearing trooper running up to them. He saluted, and Rex said, "Pawn, I want you and your squad to follow the generals and greet the transport, help out any way you can."

The four white-clad warriors marched right behind the Jedi. The two seemed to be having another debate over the arrival of Kenobi's new apprentice. "Do you really think it's a good idea to bring a Padawan learner into all this?"

"I spoke to Master Yoda. You should put in a request for one. You'd make a good teacher."

_We don't need two untrained, undisciplined children here. At best, they'll slice up some more droids. At worst, they'll get people killed. _Despite these lingering thoughts, Pawn kept quiet.

The transport opened up and out walked a young Togrutan girl. A lightsaber was hanging on her hip. _Shab, why the hell doesn't she have any armor on? Even the Generals who decide not to use blasters have durasteel plating. What are the Jedi thinking of sending a little girl to assist us?_

"Pawn," Skywalker brought the clone's mind back to reality. "Have your men unload what supplies the ship brought. You, come with us, help make sure that the comm system is stabilized."

"Yes sir." Pawn motioned his squad to do as asked and trailed behind the three Force users.

After a bit of tying cables together and a little assistance from R2-D2, the holo-image of a clone naval officer finally materialized. Pawn continued fiddling with the wires while the Jedi had their conversation. However, it was cut short when Master Yoda's hologram fizzled out. General Skywalker shot a look to Pawn. "There's nothing wrong on our side, sir," was the defensive reply. While he continued with his work, the Jedi reintroduced themselves to each other.

"Pawn," the younger General said quietly with an edge to his voice, "let's check up with Rex on the lookout posts." Pawn raised himself, picked up his rifle, and complied.

"Better take her with you," Kenobi said from behind. Skywalker paused in his steps before moving on. Pawn decided to greet the young one.

"Mam, I'm CT-4214, or Pawn, if you'd like."

She smiled goodheartedly. "I'm Ahoska. Nice to meet you, Pawn."

"If there's anything you need, please let me know." _Keep your friends close, your enemies closer. Gotta sure the Padawan doesn't screw anything up, but might as well be polite._

When they caught up to the Captain, Skywalker, all business, asked, "What's the status Rex?"

"Fine sir, for now, but they're gearing up for another assault." Rex noticed the orange-skinned girl looking about. "Who's the youngling?"

She snapped back cheekily. "I'm Master Skywalker's _Padawan_. The name's Ahsoka Tano."

Perplexed, Rex turned to Pawn, who shrugged. Then he turned to Skywalker. "Sir, I thought you said you'd never have a Padawan."

"There's been a mix-up, the youngling isn't with me."

"Stop calling me that!" Some clones turned their heads at the small outburst. "You're stuck with me Skyguy," she finished off with a smirk.

Rex let out a few chuckles and had to cover up his mouth. Pawn's smile was hidden under his helmet, and he could hear some troopers chuckling over to the side. They soon went back to business once the Jedis' comments escalated.

Ahsoka, Rex, and Pawn eventually found themselves walking next to the row of heavy cannons. While the commanders spoke (all Padawans were given the rank of Commander), Pawn's squad joined the trio.

"Sir," Kix began. "Is that General Kenobi's new protégé?"

"Her name's Ahsoka Tano." She waved to the squad before resuming her talk with Rex. "Apparently, she was assigned to Skywalker instead by Master Yoda himself."

Jester nearly dropped his gun. "Master Yoda? Himself? Really?"

Cypher sighed. "Jester, stop being such a fanboy already. You'll probably never get to meet him again."

"You weren't there when I met him, man. If it weren't for him, my squad would have been crushed back on Geonosis."

"Lucky you," was Cypher's curt response.

Before Pawn could intervene, a crimson color appeared in the corner of his eye. He craned his neck and saw a ray shield in the shape of hemisphere. Slowly but surely, it was growing in size. Pawn retrieved his binoculars and observed the enemy tanks making their way for another assault. _That's going to complicate things. Wonder what strategy the Generals are going to come up with for this._

X

"Captain Rex," Pawn pressed his comm link, "We've set the mines and are retreating back to the buildings."

"Good. Get back here ASAP."

"Copy that. Pawn out."

"That shield's getting awfully close sir."

"That's' why we are running back now, Jester. Stay calm and we'll all pull through this."

When they arrived to the building where their unit was hidden, a clone ushered them inside. It was Sergeant Coric. "Rex and the General are upstairs with Punch's team. They'll rappel down as we give suppressing fire. They'll strike hard, strike fast, and then disappear into the shadows."

"Like from a vid you once saw, right?" Pawn sarcastically asked.

"Yup. It was called –" An explosion prevented him from sharing the movie title. It was time to start blasting droids. Pawn's squad took positions from behind the front entrance. Pawn crouched and picked his targets. It was always a plus when the tinnies walked in straight lines, made things a bit easier. Unfortunately, there was an overwhelming amount of Super Battle Droids. Rex had to order a tactical retreat.

Thanks to Pawn's infamous luck, he ran head first into the back of one of the SBDs. The combat robot turned around and grabbed Pawn's neck, choking him. He drew his sidearm, but it was knocked away. He tried kicking it, but the droid stood firm. Luckily, General Kenobi swooped in and cut the droid in half. Cypher helped him back up as the clones moved back to the heavy cannons.

Rex contacted Kenobi's second in command. "Cody, get some men on those turrets. The droids are closing in." As they were running, Pawn snuck a glance back. He saw a droid snatch the Jedi's lightsaber, and the General himself held his hands high.

While on their way back behind the improvised barricade, Jester was suddenly shot. _Shab._ Pawn dragged his body under cover and examined the wound. "Kix, Jester's been hit!"

By the time the team medic made it to their position, Jester was already dead. _Another godforsaken name._ Pawn grabbed Jester's rifle and ran to Captain Rex. "Sir, General Kenobi's been captured." Pawn leaned back on the ruined piece of scrap. "There's nowhere else left to run."

"We've got to hold out!" Rex vehemently responded. "We can't let that shield reach the cannons. Keep fighting." The two popped out of cover and started returning fire. It wasn't long until the droids reached the barricade.

"There's' too many!" someone yelled out. More clones were falling. Too many soldiers were dying. Pawn nudged Kix and Cypher. They moved further back, but a stray grenade detonated to their side. A trooper was knocked to his back and didn't get up. Kix tended to him while his squad mates covered him.

Finally, the shield began to pull back into itself. Rex immediately shouted, "All cannons, fire on those tanks!" As the enemy forces were pounded on, larties started coming in overhead. _Better late than never._

X

"Pure pazaak."

Cypher and Pawn were playing a card game a Mandalorian showed them back at Kamino. Cypher won, again. "How the hell do you win every game?"

"I'm just one lucky clone, I guess." Pawn sighed and proceeded to put away the cards. Cypher raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing? Tired of your losing streak already?"

He remained silent until he placed the deck back in its case. The he took a quick look around. Once he was sure no one could see them sitting under the gunship wing, he took out an unlabeled glass bottle from his backpack.

Cypher's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Kri'gee, your favorite." Pawn snapped the cap off and gave his brother the drink.

"How did you…?"

"I brought it with me when we first left for Genosis. Been holding on to it ever since." Pawn took a deep breath. "Any day now, we could be the next ones to die. We might as well get a little drunk before then."

Cypher looked unsure, eyes half closed. He placed the bottle to his lips, savoring the small drips on the edge, but he pulled away, putting the cap back on. "We can't afford to risk getting drunk right now. We have a war to fight."

Pawn chuckled a little before taking back the ale. "I'll hold on to it for a little while longer than. Just don't tell Kix, alright? This is just between the two of us."

Cypher grinned, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "No problem, vode."

"… I miss them too."

"I know…. Hey, could I take a look at that list later?"

"You never have to ask me. Feel free."

"Thanks."

X

Hours later, Pawn's and Coric's squad were right behind Skywalker, Tano, and Captain Rex. They had just ascended to the monastery on Teth. Kix was off practicing his medical skills again, so Pawn and Cypher stayed close to each other. Once the front door was open, the clones activated their flashlight attachments on their helmets.

"Check those corners, people," Coric said. "You'll never know when a crazy Ewok might jump out and tear your arms off."

"Sarge, I think what you meant to say was crazy Wookies."

"You've never been to Endor, Corporal. I know what I said."

"Quiet," Rex spoke loudly. A protocol droid stumbled in front of the group. After an exchange of words, the General and his apprentice went deeper into the building. "Pawn, tear this tinny's memory unit out for us."

"Yes sir."

"Wait, now there's no need –" Rex shoved the droid forward. Pawn set down his rifle and took out his fusion cutter. 4A-7 never knew what hit it.

By the time the Jedi returned with the little Hutt, Pawn was busy sorting through the information in a datapad. Rex saw them, and he and Pawn ran up to them. "Sir, you really need to see this." Pawn handed the General the datapad. "This whole operation was a set up."

Skywalker looked through the files, and his eyes slowly widened in realization. "We need to contact Obi-Wan, now."

Pawn watched them and Rex go as he picked up his blaster. He walked back to Kix who was leaning on the leg of the AT-TE with Cypher. "Kix, how many did we lose so far?"

Cypher answered for him. "Scetts, Bash, and Fi didn't make it. Prang's entire squad was decimated, except for him."

Kix looked at him with bemusement. "Um, you keeping track of the KIA list, now?"

"Yeah…" He looked away.

Kix just shrugged. "Alright, then. So, Sarge, are we getting a replacement for Jester?" He looked at the weapon in Pawn's hands, lubricant now coated with dust and dirt.

"For now, we'll be working as a three-man squad."

All of a sudden, Rex's voice rang out on the comm system. "Defensive positions!"

Pawn's team looked up and saw Separatists ships coming in for a landing. They stayed next to the AT-TE, firing and ducking between its legs. In the distance, Pawn could see a cloaked figure giving commands to the battle droids. _Wonder who that is…_

Skywalker yelled out, "Fall back!" After some more tricky maneuvering, the front doors finally closed shut, but it'd be open very soon.

While everyone was taking a breather, Skywalker spoke with Rex. "Captain, hold them here for as long as you can."

"Yes sir." He turned to the rest of the grunts. "You heard the General, get ready to turn those clanckers into scrap metal. Kix, pass the stamina shots. Pawn, set those mines. We're outnumbered, and we need to prolong this fight until General Kenobi arrives."


	3. Chapter 3

_Shab, that was a close one,_ Pawn thought as he, Kix, Cypher, and three other clones ran into the depths of the monastery. _Should have been more organized, though. Rex was panicking, and hell, so were we. If he survived, we'll need to have a talk about last minute tactical retreats. _Pawn looked back at his datapad. "Turn left!" He looked up to Kix. "Has the General or the Captain responded on the comm?"

"No, sir. That ship must be jamming our communications."

One of Tanner's men spoke up. "Where are we even going, Pawn?"

He looked back at the map. "That tinnie we trashed planned on escaping on a ship. Hopefully, it'll be on the landing platform we're heading to."

"And if there's no ship?"

"I'll buy the first round in hell. Turn right." They entered a lift. Pawn hit the controls, and they went downward. "According to the information I salvaged, the platform is on a rock formation not too far from the monastery. Luckily, this lift should bring us straight to it." The elevator stopped moving, but instead of opening its doors, it started moving forward.

Kix reloaded his rifle before going to his comm link. "General Skywalker, Captain Rex, is there anyone that can hear me?" More silence. "Looks like we're on our own sir. Who knows even if the Captain escaped in time?"

"We don't, but keep trying." The lift gave a hard shake, but everyone managed to stay on their feet. They could faintly hear blaster fire above them. "Sounds like there's fighting topside." As the lift started moving vertically again, Pawn tried the comm himself. "Captain, General, this is Sergeant Pawn. Do you read me?" More static, but he could hear snippets of radio chatter from clone troopers. Were there any clones still running around in the monastery?

The lift stopped moving, and the doors opened. On the platform, there were a few crates and, thankfully, a ship. Pawn exchanged a few hand motions with Tanner, and Pawn's squad stayed outside while the rest of the group cleared the interior. In the distance, they could see the monastery and ships dogfighting right above it. Kix watched as a Republic cruiser destroyed the Separatist ship. Then he noticed a giant bug heading toward their position. He nudged Pawn, and his NCO brought out his handy binoculars.

"By the Force," he said in disbelief. "It's the Jedi." _Only a Force-user would try something like that._ There was a discharge of blasters from inside the ship, but Tanner called out that it was all clear.

As the Jedi landed with R2 right behind them, Skywalker smiled but raised an eyebrow. "Pawn? How did you get all the way over here?"

The clone patted the datapad on his belt. "That caretaker droid? I scrapped all of the information it had. When we were overrun at the entrance, we decided to try to find its escape vehicle."

The General nodded as his apprentice placed the little Hutt on R2. She walked up, looked around, and asked, "You just left Rex back at the courtyard? He's pinned down with only a few men!"

_Courtyard? Was he taken prisoner? _"He ordered the retreat." _If I know Rex, he'd want to save as many as he could_. "If we move now, we could assist him with this ship, help clear the way for evac or reinforcements."

Skywalker nodded his head. "Exactly what I was thinking." As R2 went up the ramp, the General turned to the resident medic. "Kix, take a look at Stinky. Ahsoka, we don't you join him while we get this ship up and running."

"Yes, Master." Everyone entered Twilight, the name etched on the side.

X

"Engie, I think I know what I'm doing."

"Do you know what Engie is short for, Pawn? For _Engineer_. I know technology better than you do, mate. It's red-white-red, not white-red-red."

"Really?" Pawn reached under Engie's arms and punched in his code. The ship rumbled with life as the lights and controls lit up. Engie looked up and saw his brother with his arms crossed, smug.

"I hate you," Engie said as he rose from his seat. "If you need me, I'll be making sure this piece of junk doesn't implode on us." He passed Skywalker who sat in the pilot's seat. Pawn took the co-pilot's seat and helped with getting the ship airborne.

Once they were in the air, Pawn tried the comm one more time. "Captain Rex, can hear us? Still need an assist?"

He finally answered. "Pawn? Where the hell have you been?" _Oh, sounds like he's still a little pissed at me._ "I'm with Coric's squad in the courtyard, but don't worry, General Kenobi's ground forces have regrouped with us. We're just cleaning house now. Where are you?"

Skywalker responded. "He's with me, Rex. We have the Hutt and a ship. You sure you don't need any more help?"

"Positive, sir. Did you run into Ventress? Kenobi ran back into the temple to look for you."

Skywalker hesitated but quickly answered. "Obi-Wan can handle her. If you're really fine, we're going to get this Hutt back home."

"Yes, sir. We'll see you when you get back." Rex cut the line, and Pawn caught a glimpse of him though the side window as they flew over the battle.

"They'll be fine, sir," Pawn reassured the General. "It's honor to serve with such a… concerned leader such as yourself."

He smiled. "And it's an honor to serve with such honorable men like you, Pawn."

Pawn nodded. "Thank you, sir. Now," he flipped over the controls, "what's the code to get us radio contact with the cruiser, sir? This is _not_ a regulated Republic ship and I don't want to get shot down by our own men."

"Good idea," Skywalker said as the Star Destroyer came into view. "Everybody, strap yourselfs in if you can," he said into the interior radio. "Give me a second," he said to Pawn.

After a few moments of dodging lasers, Skywalker finally managed to get a request to get a hangar bay door open for them. Unfortunately, they had three Seppie fighters on their tail. It took him some time, but Pawn finally found the gun controls and returned fire.

"Hang on!" Skywalker yelled. Pawn quickly realized that he did not put on his seat belt. Thus, when the General started flying upside down, Pawn fell onto the ceiling.

_Ow, fierfek. Damn it, Pawn! This has happened before! Put on your damn seatbelt._

Once they were right side up, Skywalker grabbed the clone soldier and helped him up. "Come on, Pawn, you gotta get your head in the game."

_You enjoy this too much. Then again, you just _have_ to find humor in war somewhere. Otherwise, you could go insane_. Pawn went back to the gun and resumed firing as they went for a rear side hangar. Ultimately, however, it exploded in a fiery burst of flames.

"Well, that changes our plans!"

Tano ran into the room. "Stinky's asleep now. How's –" She stopped as she watched the raging fire pass by.

"Looks like we're going to have to take this bucket of bolts all the way back to Tatooine."

_Guess there's no other option with time running out. At least the fighters stopped chasing us_. "I'll prep the hyperdrive, sir."

"Thanks, Pawn."

X

Once they were in hyperspace, Pawn and Skywalker set off to make sure the Twilight remained somewhat functional. According to Tano and Kix, Jabba's son would make a full recovery. However, now alone with the General in the cockpit, Pawn's mind drifted and grew worried.

"General, Jabba the Hutt _will_ be given evidence that implies _we_ kidnapped his son. Do we have any agents taking care of Ziro the Hutt."

He grunted as he locked in a screw. "When Obi-Wan and I spoke before the attack, he said that he sent a message back to Coruscant. They should have the whole mess cleaned up and Dooku's credibility destroyed by the time we get there, so don't worry."

"Thank you, sir." That actually really did help ease Pawn's nerves. Hopefully, they'll get a warm welcome when they arrive on Tatooine.

At that moment, Ahsoka entered. After a short conversation with her master, she began to help with the repairs.

"You… grew up on Tatooine. This trip is like going home."

"Yeah… home…"

_Must have some uncomfortable history. Well, it's none of my business._

Later, as they approached the planet, Skywalker muttered bitterly, "I was hoping to never lay my eyes on this dust ball again…"

"Oooo-kaaaaay… what happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it. How's Stinky holding up?"

"Just needs rest, sir," Kix answered as hovered over the child. He always had a soft spot for small lifeforms even after that incident with Lord Mirdalan. He swears that he doesn't have nightmares, but Pawn's always had his doubts. "His fever's gone, so that's a plus."

"Here's another one," Cypher said as he walked through the doors. "Engie and I have the deflector shields fully operational. If we run into any more bogeys, we'll be ready. At least, assuming this trash heap can hold itself together."

"Hey," Pawn whined from where he was crouching next to a control panel, "duct tape _always_ works my friend. Trust me on that."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll forgive me if I express my doubts on it."

"Come on, Cypher," Skywalker defended, "duct tape really is that good. I once used it to keep an entire cruiser in the air." He paused. "Granted, we crashed, but we _were_ under fire at the time."

"And it looks we'll be under fire right now," Ahsoka said worriedly. "Two incoming fighters behind us."

_Shab_. Without even thinking, Pawn was barking orders. "Kix secure Jabba's son, make sure he doesn't get hurt. Cypher, get Tanner's men strapped in for evasive maneuvers. Commander Tano, take the gun controls." There was a small, visible spark of electricity from the control panel. "R2, help me keep the system online. General Skywalker, work your magic."

With a smirk, Anakin did as he was asked, just as everyone else did as they were ordered. It took a little effort, but they managed to disable their pursuers with as little damage possible to the ship.

"Sir," Pawn began, raising himself from the panel, "we've got long-range communications back online, but we are running on fumes right now. From where we are, we'll have to land as close as we can and walk the rest of the way."

The General nodded in acknowledgment as a hologram of Kenobi appeared.

"Anakin, are you crashing again?"

"No, but we are out of gas."

"Sir, I'll be in the back, checking on the rest of the troopers." Pawn walked back and was greeted with four clones sitting on the exit ramp, armor dirty and helmets off. "You guys okay? Tired?"

"You wouldn't know the half of it," Perks replied, "but we're ready and able if the General needs us, sir."

"Well, we'll be landing soon, but we're going to have to walk to the Palace. There's not enough fuel." The ship shook. "Correction: there is no fuel and we're hanging on by the skin of our teeth. I'd suggest grabbing something when we try to land." Tanner's squad groaned and Cypher shook his head as he placed his helmet back on.

"Where the shab did the General learn how to fly anyway…" Tanner muttered. Pawn shrugged and sat with his vode, waiting for the ship to come to a complete stop.

X

"I hate sand."

"ALRIGHT. WE GET IT. None of us EVER liked sand since Genosis. Can we please tone it down with the complaints?" Perks flinched back, and everyone gave Pawn a weird look. Even the little Hutt glance at the outburst. Pawn sighed, apologized, and moved slightly ahead.

As they passed the partially buried remains of a desert beast, Ahsoka spoke up. "Master Yoda has a saying: Old sins cast long shadows. Know what he means by that?"

"He means your past can ruin your future if you allow it," her teacher quickly answered, "but you forget it was Master Skywalker that said, 'I don't want to talk about my past.'"

Tano paused. "Okay, fine. There's so much more we could talk about out here like…" She was about to say sand, but she didn't want to incur Pawn's wrath.

"The desert is merciless," Skywalker solemnly said. "It takes everything from you."

_Well, it wasn't the deserts of Genosis that took everything from me, it was the bugs. Wonder what the General lost here._ Pawn and Anakin weren't the only ones who were recalling bad memories. Each clone was silent as they remember losing a brother on their first deployment. Everyone lost someone during those first days of actual combat, and the feeling of sand getting everywhere was a bit too uncomfortably familiar.

Two hours later, as the suns started setting, the Jedi stopped walking. "We're not alone," Ahsoka said.

"I sense it, too. It's the dark side of the Force." The little Hutt was apparently smart enough to cover itself up in a blanket.

_Dark side must mean a Dark Jedi._ "Sir, is whatever you're sensing in our immediate vicinity?"

"No," he looked over the clones, "but I have a plan for this."

X

"Almost there, Commander," Cypher said, patting R2's head. "Stay sharp people!" The six clones were marching right behind the Padawan when she drew her lightsaber. Three MagnaGuards rose from the ground with electrostaffs in hand.

"Open fire!" Tanner shouted. He was the first one the droids dispatched while everyone else slowly backed away. The Guard with the fabric around itself focused on Tano. One focused on the remaining members of Tanner's squad while the last one targeted Pawn's squad.

"Don't let them get too close!" Tano yelled as she engaged her opponent. Perks and Engie received some assistance from R2. Kix, Cypher, and Pawn sprayed and prayed, and, surprisingly, it worked since the enemy droid fell within seconds of the initial blasting. Pawn's new-found confidence was quickly crushed, however, as R2 and Engie fell off the cliff.

While Kix and Cypher joined Ahsoka, and one of the MagnaGuards was occupied with executing Perks, Pawn starting avenging the dying trooper by blasting his killer. When his gun clicked, signifying a lack of ammunition, Pawn wrapped his arms around its head and tore it off with all of his might. Then he used its own staff to disable its twitching remains. When Pawn looked up, all he could see were dead clones and the final droid. It twirled its weapon and ran straight for Pawn. There was no time to grab his sidearm or reload, so Pawn was forced to use the staff in his hands to block the attack.

He shoved it back and observed his surroundings. _That's Tanner, that's Perks, so everyone else must have fallen off as well. _Purple electricity moved threateningly forward. _They only have DC-15Ss, no rappelling gear, so Tano's my only chance_. Pawn blocked an overhead blow and shoved the Guard back again. _Then again, she has to get Jabba's son home. _After another shove brought the droid a more comfortable distance away from Pawn, he drew his blaster pistol and fired. He only got one eye before it sliced the gun away from the clone and resumed its attack.

_I am so not trained for this._

X

"Cypher… Cypher, wake up." Still trying to pull himself together, Cypher was raised to his feet by Kix. "You're fine Cypher. A little banged up, but a lot better than Engie." As Cypher's vision became clearer, he could see another clone body. It was very still, unmoving on the ground. "I need to stay with him. Tano left to deliver the Hutt to Jabba. _You _need to help Pawn."

Cypher automatically woke up at the mention of his vode. "Wait, where is he?" Kix pointed to the cliff, and Cypher could see a purple and white light show.

Kix kneeled down next to Engie and began removed his helmet. "There's a path, over there." He waved vaguely in one direction. "Go Cypher, I know how much he means to you. GO!"

Cypher nodded and ran as fast as he could. He slowed down, lest he trip and fall on the sandy hill, but he made it back up. Pawn was holding his own in this fight. _He'll always survive. He always does_. Cypher aimed his rifle but couldn't get a clean shot. "Pawn, get clear!"

"Stay back, Cypher." Pawn tried kicking the droid's groin area, but it had no effect.

"Just get clear! I might hit you." _Don't panic. In the end, he'll be okay. I know it._ He risked one shot and got the Guard's left shoulder. Pawn quickly followed up with his own slice and cut off its arm. With only one working limb to do combat with, the droid began a wild frenzy, twirling the hell out of its staff.

Fortunately, that frenzy gave Pawn the opening he needed to impale the Guard right through its chest. Cypher fired at its back and watched it fall onto Pawn. Pawn's staff was stuck in the robot, but it landed at an angle where its electrical ends weren't touching him.

_Thank the Force_. Cypher pushed the droid off and helped his brother up. "You good, Pawn? That was one hell of a fight!" He helped him get some of the sand off his back. "Where'd you learn those moves?"

He was panting but said, "Dynamic risk assessment."

"What the hell is that?"

"Winging it."

"Ah, I see." He punched Pawn's shoulder, inciting a groan. "Good job, ner vode."

"Yeah, yeah…" The two clones turned to the sound of a speeder and spotted Skywalker closing in on them.

He was obviously stressed and in a hurry when he slowed down to speak with them. "Where's Ahsoka?" he asked urgently.

Cypher answered, "Delivering the Hutt as we speak, General. You can head right to the palace. We have wounded to take care of."

Skywalker made to leave but hesitated. "How bad is it?"

Pawn spoke before Cypher could. "Right now, you need to make sure your Padawan has completed the mission, sir. For all we know, Jabba's being held hostage by the Seppies. We'll tend to the wounded while you confirm if we can take them inside."

The Jedi nodded and sped off toward the large building. Pawn picked up his blaster. Before the brothers made their way to Kix, Pawn went to their fallen comrades, took off their helmets, and closed their eyes. As the two trekked back, Pawn said, "So… who's injured?"

"Something happened to Engie when he fell over. Maybe hit his head. Kix is taking care of it." Cypher was exhausted, and you could start hearing it when he spoke. Pawn sure did.

"I'm sure we'll the chance to sleep soon enough. For now, the job isn't over."

"Hey!" Kix waved his squad mates over. Engie had a big bump on his forehead. "Help me move him!"

"General Skywalker," Pawn went to his comm link. "Can we enter the Palace? Engie had a pretty nasty fall."

"You're clear to come on in, Pawn," was the reply.

Pawn sighed as he grabbed Engie's feet. _He's going to be pretty pissed when he wakes up. Whole squad's dead, got hit in the head pretty hard…_ Pawn tightened his hold to ensure he wouldn't drop him. _Wonder just how many of Torrent Company got out alive._

X

Back on the Resolute, Cypher and Pawn were sharing their Mandalorian drink together. Pawn snuck in some glasses, and they were hiding in a storage room. The occasion? Torrent Company is down to about ten men. While Rex knew Pawn and Cypher were inseparable, he needed experienced soldiers mentoring the new rookie troops. Each survivor, aside from Rex, now has the rank of Sergeant. Pawn and Cypher are getting their own separate platoons.

They would still be able to see each other, but a lot of brothers died on Teth. After Christophsis, Livewire, and Slick, it was all just too much.

"I miss Sergeant Sym," Cypher muttered.

Pawn gave chuckled. "Of course you do."

"Sometimes, I wish I was an RC."

Pawn laughed harder. "It's not our place as clones to have the kind of relationship you're thinking about with others."

"Why the shab not?"

"Okay," Pawn took Cypher's glass away, "I think that's enough," and downed the rest of it, "for the both of us." Pawn stashed his glasses and bottle into his pack and got to his feet. He grabbed Cypher's hand and pulled him up. "Let's go, vode, time to meet our new squads." Cypher nodded absently as they left the room.

_Damn shame we can't have wives._

_ Actually, is there a reg against that? I gotta double check!_


End file.
